Could injured Duke forward return for NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 vs. Arizona? What we know

Duke forward Maliq Brown returned to practice Wednesday and is progressing toward a return to game action after a shoulder injury caused him to miss the past four games, including the Blue Devils’ first two NCAA Tournament games.

“It’s day-to-day with Maliq,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said Wednesday, “and there’s a chance he could be available tomorrow night.”

Duke, the nation’s No. 1-ranked team and the top seed in the East Regional, plays fourth-seeded Arizona on Thursday night at 9:39 p.m at Prudential Center.

In advance of that game, Brown took the court with his teammates Wednesday afternoon, with the first 15 minutes open for the media to watch. During that time, Brown took shots with his right hand, wearing a brace that limits some range of motion in his left shoulder, which has been dislocated twice in the past five weeks.

Brown has not played since the first half of Duke’s 78-70 ACC Tournament quarterfinal win over Georgia Tech on March 13. That’s when he dislocated his left shoulder for the second time in four weeks.

After the injury in the Georgia Tech game, Brown was taken to nearby Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte for treatment to get the shoulder back in place.

Brown previously injured the shoulder on Feb. 17 when it popped out of socket when he reached to tip the ball while playing defense during Duke’s 80-62 win at Virginia. He missed four games before returning to score 11 points in Duke’s 82-69 win at North Carolina on March 8.

A 6-9 junior forward, Brown has played in 23 of Duke’s 36 games this season. He’s averaged 2.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. But his biggest strength has been on the defensive end, where his ability to deflect passes and cause turnovers has made Duke among the nation’s top defensive teams.

Brown has battled toe, knee and shoulder injuries this season. He missed four games in January due to a sprained knee and this is his second four-game stint on the sideline with the dislocated shoulder.

In his absence, 6-11 freshman center Pat Ngongba has picked up extra minutes as a reserve post player behind Duke’s starter, 7-2 freshman Khaman Maluach.

In the last full game Brown played, Duke’s 82-69 win over North Carolina on March 8, Ngongba played just two minutes. But he’s played at least 10 minutes in each of the last five games while Brown has been injured.

In Sunday’s 89-66 NCAA Tournament second-round win over Baylor at Lenovo Center, Ngongba played 16 minutes, scoring eight points with two rebounds and two blocked shots.

He said Wednesday he’s been able to develop his game while getting extra court time during Brown’s absences.

“On defense,” Ngongba said. “I feel like my coverage and my talk has gotten a lot better.”

This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 4:15 PM with the headline "Could injured Duke forward return for NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 vs. Arizona? What we know."

Steve Wiseman

The News & Observer

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Steve Wiseman was named Raleigh News & Observer and Durham Herald-Sun sports editor in May 2025. He covered Duke athletics, beginning in 2010, prior to his current assignment. In the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest, he placed in the top 10 in beat writing in 2019, 2021 and 2022, breaking news in 2019, event coverage in 2025 and explanatory writing in 2018. Before coming to Durham in 2010, Steve worked for The State (Columbia, SC), Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.), The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.), Charlotte Observer and Hickory (NC) Daily Record covering beats including the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, University of South Carolina athletics and the S.C. General Assembly. He’s won numerous state-level press association awards. Steve graduated from Illinois State University in 1989.